Health: How to deal with Allergies?

Sniffling, sneezing, health reactions, etc.. to some allergy/allergies? You are not alone! I used to deal with all this many years ago until I changed my diet. There are a lot of “environmental toxins” causing us to react negatively health wise. I’m no expert, but I can only share my personal experiences in overcoming these allergic reactions.

My first experience dealing with an allergic reaction was sometime in elementary school. I was big in watching horror films growing-up, which I don’t recommend it-that’s another story or for another blog. I remember watching this movie called “The Fly”. While sitting in class, I started to get these red bumps and they were growing non-stop all over my body. I started to sweat and feel very weak. I decided to go up front and told my teacher. She saw what’s happening , so she sent me to the nurses office and they sent me home. My parents then took me to the hospital and was diagnosed with “hives”. They asked me what I ate and I told them cheese popcorn (later presume it’s the “food coloring”) . I was scared eating this for many years later as I was afraid to get this hive reaction again. It wasn’t until adulthood (during or after college) that I would eat cheese popcorn again and never got this reactions from it again. The closest to this was just years ago when I started having growing “red bumps”, which was caused by using “unsanitized” dish gloves that I used at my home. I was using dish gloves that had a hole and some food contaminants were left and I used it again…a no no! I learned to not do this again. I remember going to the hospital and they just told me to not do this as my allergic reaction was disappearing as I put rubbing alcohol on my skin, which it went away..no prescription medication needed! I’m not a big fan of OTC (over the counter) medications. I try to find a natural health remedy for every medical issue if possible.

Years after college, I went to the doctors for advice on my allergies (e.g red eyes and sneezing during the Fall Harvest time-caused by the farmers harvesting around our rural town area, which the wind blows all the dust from the fields to town). They prescribed me these allergy meds (e.g. Allegra) and some free samples (never took them). My finances were low, so I decided to “disobey” the doctors orders and “google” online for any health remedies or alternatives to deal with these allergies.

I found out the “negative” health side effects of these allergy meds and thought it wasn’t worth it..

“…Allergies are your body’s reaction to allergens (particles your body considers foreign), a sign that your immune system is working overtime. The first time your body encounters an allergen, your plasma cells release IgE (immunoglobulin E), an antibody specific to that allergen. IgE attaches to the surface of your mast cells. Mast cells are found in great numbers in your surface tissues (i.e., those with close proximity to the external environment, such as in your skin and in the mucous membranes of your nose), where they help mediate inflammatory responses.

Mast cells release a number of important chemical mediators, one of which is histamine.

So, the second time your body encounters a particular allergen, within a few minutes the mast cells become activated and release a powerful cocktail of histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, which trigger the entire cascade of symptoms you associate with allergies: sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, hacky cough, itchy eyes, etc. Histamine can cause your airways to constrict, like with asthma, or cause blood vessels to become more permeable, leading to fluid leakage or hives….

CAUSES

-Foods

Robyn O’Brien | TEDxAustin 2011https://youtu.be/rixyrCNVVGA“Robyn shares her personal story and how it inspired her current path as a “Real Food” evangelist. Grounded in a successful Wall Street career that was more interested in food as good business than good-for-you, this mother of four was shaken awake by the dangerous allergic reaction of one of her children to a “typical” breakfast. Her mission to unearth the cause revealed more about the food industry than she could stomach, and impelled her to share her findings with others. Informative and inspiring.

About this speaker

Robyn authored “The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It.” A former Wall Street food industry analyst, Robyn brings insight, compassion and detailed analysis to her research into the impact that the global food system is having on the health of our children. She founded allergykidsfoundation.org and was named by Forbes as one of “20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter.” The New York Times has passionately described her as “Food’s Erin Brockovich.”

“Five years ago Robyn O’Brien was an average American mom; busy with four kids, living on a limited budget, and not in the least interested in hearing anyone lecture her about what to feed her kids. Then one day, after being served a typical breakfast consisting of Eggo waffles, blue-colored yoghurt and scrambled eggs, her youngest child suddenly had an acute allergic reaction. That very day, Robyn threw herself into researching food allergies, and virtually overnight, Robyn became a real-food activist.

She quickly learned that the foods sold in our grocery stores are not necessarily safe. On the contrary, many, if not most of them, now contain “foreign” ingredients that have never been tested for safety.

That something has gone awry is obvious when you take a look at the statistics. Between 1997 and 2002 the number of peanut allergies doubled, and the number of hospitalizations related to allergic reactions to food increased by a whopping 265 percent. One out of 17 children now has some form of food allergy. And allergy rates are rising…..

Processed foods in general can contribute to allergies for a number of different reasons. Most processed foods contain a variety of food colorings, flavors, preservatives, and other additives can have a major impact. But there’s another, even more insidious hazard lurking in American food stores……

“..Then she found out it could be a reaction to a preservative called methylchloroisothiazolinone, or MI for short. Wilson says she found it in her shampoos, conditioners, soaps and dish detergents — all of which she says were labeled all-natural or hypoallergenic.

“A lot of parents and a lot of the members of the public assume hypoallergenic means that it has less of the ingredients that cause allergic reactions. But what we found is that that’s not always the case,” said Dr. Rajani Katta, a professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine.

After noticing a rise in these reactions, Dr. Katta did a study at several Houston-area stores to find out if products for infants and children with sensitive skin contained MI. …

These allergy tips are from Dr. Holly Lucille, a naturopathic physician…

Stay hydrated to breathe easier

This natural allergy treatment tip involves drinking lots of liquids to help flush out mucus. However, when you hydrate, you also need minerals to hold onto the water. Sodium maintains water balance outside the cells, while potassium, magnesium and calcium-all available in a good multivitamin with minerals-help to maintain water balance inside the cells. In addition to stopping springtime allergies, it could help with weight loss and overall health!

Protect yourself from the cause of your allergies

Keep your windows closed at home or in the car during high pollen days and take off your shoes when you come in the house. Much of the household dirt, dust, and allergens come from the bottom of shoes. Another natural allergy treatment tip is to dust your furniture and shelves regularly.
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‘Tis the season for sniffling, sneezing and itching. Breathe easier with these medically proven natural allergy remedies.“..Allergies plague millions of people, and many only get marginal relief from drugs, which can also have frustrating side effects. Natural allergy remedies, however, often have fewer side effects, and can combat allergic reactions to plants such as the notorious ragweed, shown here….

Here are more things that can help head off allergies before they start, as well as some drug-free ways to treat symptoms when they do arise.

Neti Pots. What could be simpler than rinsing away allergens with saltwater? Neti pots, small vessels shaped like Aladdin’s lamp…

Sal: I bought a neti pot a couple of years ago at a health store (e.g. Pomme De Terre Foods in Morris, Minnesota) and used this a lot during allergy season, but cut down on my usage after changing my diet.